Winebird’s last minute wine guide for Christmas
Not bought your wine for Christmas yet? Read our last minute festive wine guide for some delicious suggestions.
Cards, tick. Presents, tick. Turkey, tick. Wine…? In the frenzy of Christmas preparation, it’s easy to overlook one of the most important guests on Christmas day – a delicious bottle of wine that pairs perfectly with your food and atmosphere.
Luckily though, the very talented Winebird (aka Helena Nicklin) has prepared a last-minute Christmas wine guide for us, to help you pick the perfect bottle to enjoy.
My last minute Christmas wine guide
If you’re anything like me, certain things (well, quite a lot of things, actually) get left to the last minute as far as Christmas is concerned.
This year in my house, it’s wine of all things! Luckily, I’ve tasted far and wide this year so the choices were easy. Here are my last minute picks for festive and fabulous wines that everyone will love.
My pick of festive white wines – Fiano
Fiano is a grape that’s causing a bit of a commotion at the moment as it makes a great, mid-way style between the citrussy, fresh Sauvignons and the richer, rounder Chardonnay types of wine. Fiano is always a crowd pleaser that gets people asking ‘Ooh, what’s this?’. To me, it’s like a classic Roman Goddess that’s both ancient and modern at the same time. Here are three lovely ones.
1) A cheeky little starter
ASDA’s Extra Special Fiano – ASDA’s Extra Special wine range is really good. They use world renowned winemakers to make them and the result is great wine at a seriously reasonable price. This Fiano is zippy and fresh, with just enough fruity curves to keep everyone happy.
Buy: ASDA £7.50
2) A bargainous treat
Pietrariccia Fiano, Surani – this is a brilliant, all-rounder white. It’ll please you if you like the crispness of Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s got more ripe fruit. A little bit tropical, it’s delicious and easy drinking and much more interesting than Pinot Grigio! I’ve bought tonnes of the stuff for parties.
Buy: Majestic £6.99 when you buy two. (Single bottle price £9.52.)
3) Splash out
Fiano D’Avellino, Ciro Picarellio, Summonte – this wine sets the benchmark for Fiano. It’s crisp and tropical like the others, but has a truly beautiful elegance and purity to it. It’s cool and classy; the archetypal a Roman goddess…
My pick of festive red wines – Malbec
Malbec (that’s the grape) makes delicious, chocolately curl-up-by-the-fire red wines. It’s not as heavy as Cabernet Sauvignon, for example but it’s still toned and athletic. Think of it as the lithe Polo player with flowing brown locks rather than muscle-bound rugby player with rigid, cedar-tree arms. Here are three Malbecs that I love.
1) A starter for ten…
Trivento Reserve Malbec – this is a great little Malbec for the money, made even better value by the fact that it’s currently on offer everywhere. Easy drinking, beefy enough and crowd-pleasing. Perfect for winter.
Buy: Waitrose £6.99, Ocado £6, ASDA £6
2) Treat yourself!
Hey Malbec! – bonkers label but the wine is stunning; really silky but not cloying and with a lovely freshness. Think chocolate-dipped blueberries and raspberries.
Buy: Majestic £9.99 when you buy two or more. Single bottle price £14.99
3) Splash out
Carmelita Malbec – my friend described this wine as a cuddle in a glass. It’s a slightly more serious Malbec, more concentrated in style with moreish, grilled meat notes. Open it up early to give it plenty of air. Needs food! Their Carmelita Cabernet Franc is worth a look too.
Buy: carmelitawine.com, Hennings Wine Merchants, £27-£30
You can read more of Helena’s wine tips on the Winebird website.
